Row erupts over Labour's 'insane Orwellian' plan for giving jail sentences for 'misgendering'
The move would place transphobic abuse into the same category of racially and religiously motivated assault or harassment
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Labour has said that those who use the wrong pronouns or names of others intentionally could face prison sentences.
The party vowed to make attacks motivated by hatred of the victim’s gender identity “aggravated offences” if they came to power.
This would place transphobic abuse into the same category of racially and religiously motivated assault or harassment.
Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary Anneliese Dodds said at the Labour conference last week: “The Conservatives are failing to protect LGBT+ people with their inability to get a handle on hate crime, including violent hate crime.
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“Labour will strengthen the law to ensure the perpetrators of anti-LGBT+ hate can no longer dodge longer sentences.
“And our fully funded plan to recruit 13,000 more neighbourhood police and community support officers would increase safety for everyone.”
Conservatives fired back at the announcement.
A senior Tory source said: “Some police forces have shown themselves overzealous in the pursuit of supposed hate crimes and this reform would send them a signal to go even further.
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“We've seen people arrested for misgendering but this isn't enough for Labour – they want them locked up for two years.”
Former aide to Margaret Thatcher, Nile Gardiner, said: “This is insane. A far Left Labour Govt will be truly Orwellian, and dominated by woke extremism.”
Caroline Ffiske from Conservatives for Women said: “Thousands of women dispute the notion of 'gender identity' and particularly the idea that it should be prioritised over biological sex.
“We have serious and legitimate concerns over being expected, in the workplace, when using public services or in private life, to refer to a man as 'she/her'.
Shadow cabinet members at the Labour Party Conference
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“Is there a risk with this policy that a woman could be accused of harassment for correctly sexing a man and then for that to be treated as an aggravated offence?”
Others weighed in on the possible policy.
Angela Levin, biographer and royal writer, reposted an article posted by Guido Fawkes, which said: “Labour to jail those who use the wrong pronouns.”
Levin condemned the move, writing “but not to murderers, rapists no doubt because there's no room”.